They were taken to hospital after finding the needles laying on the ground.

Eastern Daily Press: The rucksack left outside the gate. Picture: Joanne MilneThe rucksack left outside the gate. Picture: Joanne Milne (Image: Joanne Milne)

Two young girls had to be given the Hepatitis B vaccine after they found a bag full of needles in an alleyway.

The needles were discovered after Joanne Milne, of Micawber Avenue in Great Yarmouth, invited her neighbour's seven-year-old daughter around to play with her five-year-old daughter.

They were playing in the garden when they heard boys in the alleyway.

The two girls climbed up on the fence to see what was going on and spotted some boys kicking a black rucksack.

Once they had gone, the girls went outside the gate and looked inside to find a sharps bin and dirty needles and syringes.

They said they didn't take the lids off, but as a precaution Mrs Milne called 111 and spoke to an out of hours doctor who told her to take both the girls to A&E at James Paget University Hospital.

Mrs Milne called the police about Friday's incident but was told it was an issue the council would need to sort out. She called the council about clearing up the syringes, but no one cleared them up until the next day.

She said: 'We were at the hospital by roughly 7.45pm and both girls were given the Hepatitis B vaccine.

'This is a council estate, and it's the summer holidays. Because no one removed the rucksack and syringes until the next day, who knows if anyone else touched them.

'I posted on social media to make parents aware not to let their children play down the alleyway until the council had cleaned it up.

'There are places to dispose of things like that, it's disgusting they were left in an alleyway.'

In a statement, Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) said: 'GYBC and its operational partner, GYB Services Ltd, take very seriously and react swiftly to any reports of needle waste.

'In this case, the syringes were first reported to the council through the out-of-hours phone service at 7.30pm on Friday. The area had been litter-picked that morning and no needles had been found.

'The syringes were removed by an operative at 9.45am on Saturday.

'On Monday, the area was checked again and another needle removed. The council will continue to monitor the area and encourages the public to continue reporting any needles to GYB Services Ltd.